Television News and Its Satirical Interpretation in Medvedev’s Russia: Is Glasnost Back?

Abstract

The article focuses on television in Dmitrii Medvedev’s Russia through the prism of glasnost. It analyses daily television news stories, as they are posted on the official Channel One website, and weekly satirical interpretations of news programmes presented to the Russian nation on Channel One. These two aspects of television programming are indicative of the development of glasnost and transparency in Medvedev’s Russia. News stories are examined in terms of newsworthiness, and satirical shows — in terms of the targets of political satire. First, a brief historical account of the term “glasnost” is given to lay out the framework for analysis. Then frame analysis is applied to examine representational modes, discourse and myths used to package Channel One news stories that were broadcast in the period of October 2009 to January 2010. Then, the article focuses on the representation of the satirical in Thespotlightofparishilton (Prozhektorperishilton) and The Animated Personality (Mul’t lichnosti), two Channel One satirical shows that appeared since Medvedev’s inauguration. Television programmes are compared with similar material available on the Russian-language internet, which remains mainly free of state control, and thus provides a point of reference for identifying the boundaries of glasnost on television.